Teeth and backings therefor



F. Z. HANSCOM. TEETH AND BIACKINGS THEREFOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. H. 1918.

1 1,435,601, Patented NQV. 1 ,1922.

Patented Nov. M 1922.

FRANK Z. HANSCOBI, 0F ELMHUBST, ILLINOIS.

TEETH AND BACKINGS THEREFOR.

I Application filed Marchll, 1918. Serial No. 221,690.

To aZZ whom it may :conoern:

Be it known that I, FRANK Z. HANSCOM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmhurst, county of Du Page, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Teeth and Backings Therefor, of which the following, taken in connection with the drawings, is a description.

My invention relates to the art of producing artificial teeth with backings therefor, which are so formed and arranged that a greater amount of porcelain may be used in their construction, at the same time combining therewith in. the form of backings therefor sufficient gold or other metal to give them the strength, and rigidity necessary.

In the practice of dentistry, it has been found that porcelain of the kind used in making artificial teeth, embodies inherent properties which prevent itsuse where there is any possibility of its being bent or curved in any direction during the soldering or securing operation in attaching the same to the backing, and also that porcelain will easily break wherever there is a scoredor weakened line for any purpose. 1

For these reasons I have so shaped my construction that the largest possible portion may be made of porcelain consistent with both the service of the teeth and ap pearance of the same.

A further object of my invention is to so shape and form the teeth that when assembled the exposed surfaces conform as nearly as may be to the appearance of natural teeth, while the posterior portion is arranged on straight or beveled lines designed to fit metal casings or baokings provided therefor, the porcelain readily lending itself to such a construction without danger of fracture.

A further object of the invention is to form a tooth on lines which will permit its being .readily assembled with the backing herein shown and described, which permits the contiguous edges of the teeth to meet upon the exposed faces thereof, while the rear or posterior surfaces are formed on lines permitting the backings to engage angularly extending shoulders and strengthen the entire structure.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated what I now consider the preferred form of my invention as applied to a plurality of teeth, in this instance the incisors, and in these drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a plurality of teeth in assembled position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through a single tooth and backing;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a single tooth;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line l4 of Fig. 5,

Fig.5 is a rear elevation of a single tooth, and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the tooth backing used in this construction. I

Referring to the drawings, A represents the porcelain body portion of an anterior tooth, the front or labial. surface of which is rounded at the central transverse portion thereof, as shown more clearly at a in Fig. 4, with the sides, a, a, flaring more gradually to'the outer edges or sides of the tooth. These teeth are constructed with the thicker portion thereof toward the cervical surface and diminishing in thickness toward the occlusal surface, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. This shape or contour of the tooth permits of the posterior construction, in-

eluding shoulders hereinafter described. for

the purpose of providing greater attaching surfaces for the metalbackings.

For the purpose of description, the teeth herein shown and described, will be considered upper teeth. 1

The gingival surface, o of the tooth is concave, as shown in Fig. 2, and is adapted. to be ground or otherwise fitted to the gums of the wearer.

The lingual surface B of this tooth from the cervical surface to the bite or occlusal surface, takes the form of an oblong plane, the narrow edge thereof corresponding with the edge of the cervical surface, and the lines 6, b, from each side of said surface inclining outwardly toward a vanishing point near the occlu sal surface, B. The occlusa-l surfaces of these teeth are formed on slight bevel from the lingual toward the labial surface of the teeth, as shown at Z) in Figs. 2 and 3.

Extending parallel with the lines, 6, b, and the sides 6 6 of each tooth is an angular recess or niche, c, c, which terminates at avanishing point near the lower outer edges of the tooth, vanishing on the lingual surface.

Approximately mediate the lingual surface of the tooth and extending into the thickest portion of the tooth is a socket 0, into which projects apin 0 formed integrally with the backing C, to which the body portion A of the tooth is attached.

The backings C for these teeth are shaped to conform to the outline of the body portion of the teeth upon the lingual surfaces thereof, the upper edge of the backing ter minating at the line between the lingual and cervical surfaces (Fig. 2). The outer sides or meeting edges, 0 of the backings G extend in the form of wings upon an angular line extending from the line a upwardly to a point meeting the curved edge of the cervical surface on the gingival side of the tooth. v

In assembling the teeth, the ribs or ridges, d, fit into the recesses c and form a complete closure between the meeting-edges of the contiguous teeth upon the anterior and posterior sides of the teeth and backings and providing ample surface for cementing or securing together a plurality of teeth either in bridge workor an entire set.

By this construction it will be seen that I have provided'a strong, durable ing abacking easily and readily fitted there to and with retaining means for securing them in place with sufficient room between the teeth for soldering the same together. These teeth so arranged are not at any time subjected to strains having a tendency to warp the structure or having a tendency to break the material.

I claim:

1. An artificial tooth having a body portion of greater thickness between the upper lingual surface and the labial surface and diminishing toward the occlusal surface, the lingual surface presenting an oblong plane and having a socket extending transversely tooth hav into the body of the tooth from the lingual surface, said tooth having a flange on each side thereof extending in beveled lines parallel with the lingual and labial surfaces and a backing therefor having ridges formed'to engage the aforesaid flanges and the edges thereof abutting against the corresponding edges of the backing of the tooth next adjacent.

2. An artificial anterior tooth having a body portion of greater thickness near the gingival surface than theocclusal surface, and having a concave surface from the cervical to the lingual surface, the lingual surface of said tooth presenting an oblong plane, said toothhaving afshoulder upon each side thereof extending on a beveled line parallel with thelingual surface and diminishing in depth from the cervical to the occlusal surface, and a backing therefor shaped to conform to said shoulders and the lingual surface, said backing provided with wings extending to the edge of the tooth and abutting corresponding I edges of the backing of the next adjacent tooth.

3. A plurality of artificial teeth each hav ing the labial surface rounded outwardly at the center and forming a concave portion on each side of the vertical center of the labial surface, the lingual surface of each tooth presenting a plane having angular recesses arranged upon each side thereof presenting shoulders, and a backing for said teeth provided with correspondingrecesses and shoulders. adapted to engage the recesses and shoulders on the teeth, and means for securingsaid teeth and the backing together, sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

FRANK z; HANSCOM. 

